Cloud computing is the use of computing resources (hardware and software) that are delivered as a service over a network (typically the Internet). Traditionally, cloud computing has been focused on web/cloud-based applications and web-connected mobile devices. However, as these web/cloud-based applications and mobile devices have become more capable, users expect the same capabilities from these web/cloud-based applications and mobile devices that the users receive from the users' personal computers. One such capability is printing.
Printing architectures and protocols (print drivers) of conventional personal computer operating systems can be complex and many times are proprietary to the manufacturers of the printing device.
In contrast, a cloud based system is based upon achieving coherence and economies of scale, thereby relying upon converged infrastructure and shared services. Thus, the complexity and proprietary nature of the conventional printing architectures and protocols negatively impact the feasibility of implementing a cloud-based printing service.
One solution has been the development of cloud-ready printers. These printers have built-in systems (native support) for connecting to cloud print services. A cloud-ready printer has no need for a personal computer connection of any kind or for a print driver. The printer can be simply connected directly to a network and then registered with a cloud print service to enable such a printer render print jobs.
However, this solution is not readily backward compatible with the vast number of existing conventional network printers that rely upon the conventional printing architectures and protocols. A network-ready printer is a printer that includes a network interface (wired or wireless) that allows the printer to be directly connected to a network.
One conventional approach, as illustrated in FIG. 1, to enable a conventional network printer to be “cloud-ready” includes running software “connector” on a personal computer 20 associated with the conventional network printer 10, wherein the software “connector” registers the network printer, through a network 30, with the cloud-based service residing on the internet 40.
When a print job is submitted from the cloud-based service residing on the internet 40 to the registered printer 10, the print job is actually routed by the network 30 to the associated personal computer 20.
The communication channel 60 between the network 30 and the associated personal computer 20 may be wired or wireless.
The software “connector,” running on the personal computer 20, submits the print job to the printer 10, through the network 30, using the personal computer operating system's native printer software.
The communication channel 50 between the network 30 and the printer 10 may be wired or wireless.
The software “connector,” running on the personal computer 20, also communicates, through the network 30, with the cloud-based print service, residing on the internet 40, regarding any status information associated with the printer.
Although this approach provides the printer 10 with a “connection” to a cloud-based service residing on the internet 40, the solution requires that the personal computer 20 remain powered ON, be executing the software “connector,” and be connected to the network 30.
In other words, the conventional approach for enabling a non-cloud-ready network printer to be a cloud-ready printer is not a standalone solution but requires a personal computer in combination with the conventional non-cloud-ready network printer.
Thus, it is desirable to provide a device for a non-cloud-ready printer, which enables the printer to be cloud-ready.
Moreover, it is desirable to provide a device for a non-cloud-ready printer, which enables the printer to be cloud-ready and does not require a personal computer to be running.
Furthermore, it is desirable to provide a plug-n-play inline device for a non-cloud-ready printer, which enables the printer to be a cloud-ready printer.
In addition, it is desirable to provide a plug-n-play network device, which enables a non-cloud-ready printer to be a cloud-ready printer and does not require a personal computer to be running.